Hoverboard maker sued, blamed for house fire

ABINGTON – An insurance company is suing the maker of a recalled hoverboard after two caught fire while charging in an Abington garage in 2020.

Harleysville Worcester Insurance Co., part of Nationwide, filed the lawsuit last month against the New Jersey-based Digital Gadgets LLC, seeking $71,000 to recoup the money it paid out to Abington homeowner Hector Dejesus.

The insurance company's attorney, Michael St. Andre, said in the lawsuit complaint that two hoverboards in Dejesus' garage at 27 Adley Dr. caught fire on Sept. 23, 2020. Those hoverboards were subsequently recalled in 2016 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

St. Andre said in the lawsuit the two hoverboards caught on fire while their lithium-Ion batteries were charging.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a recall noticethe battery packs in the self-balancing hoverboards can overheat and begin to smoke, catch fire or explode.

In all, they ordered 16,000 hoverboards made by Digital Gadgets recalled in 2016, citing17 reports of the battery packs overheating, including two reports of burn injuries and two reports of property damage.

The hoverboards were manufactured in China and sold through the shopping network QVC in 2015 for $400, according to the recall notice.

While the insurance company is seeking at least $71,000, to recoup how much it paid Dejesus, it is also seeking attorney's fees and triple damages for a total of $213,000.

Neither St. Andre nor Digital Gadgets LLC responded to requests for comment.

Fires and explosions caused by lithium-Ion batteries are a known issue and a danger for recycling plants. The batteries temporarily grounded the Boeing 737 Dreamliner in 2013 following fires. Amazon settled a lawsuit in Tennessee over a $1 million house that burned down in a hoverboard fire.

Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.